Man's body found in ocean off Hilton Head ID'd

A body pulled from the ocean by swimmers on Hilton Head Island has been identified by a relative, according to Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen.

The 32-year-old man's birth name was Anthony Kirk, but it had been changed to Chephern Nefer, Allen said Tuesday. The man was identified from a photograph by his father, who lives in Savannah, Allen said.

He was pulled ouf of the surf on Sept. 5 off of Folly Field Beach.

Finding Nefer's next of kin was difficult because of the name change, which Nefer's father said occurred because of his son's conversion to Islam, according to Allen. Nefer had not been reported missing, and it is still unknown where he lived on Hilton Head Island.

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Nefer had also gone by other names, according to law-enforcement records, and had not left behind any information about next of kin.

He was found wearing only swim trunks and a watch and had no identification with him. The Coroner's Office identified Nefer from fingerprints through Georgia law-enforcement records and tracked down his father Thursday.

His death has been ruled a drowning, which probably occurred Sept. 4, the day before he was found. There were no signs of foul play, Allen said.